16 Quotes by David D. Friedman

If almost everyone is in favor of feeding the hungry, the politician may find it in his interest to do so. But, under those circumstances, the politician is unnecessary: some kind soul will give the hungry man a meal anyway. If the great majority is against the hungry man, some kind soul among the minority still may feed him—the politician will not.

Anarcho-capitalism is not by definition libertarian. It is rather a prediction, not a definition.

Producing laws is not an easier job than producing cars and food, so if the government is incompetent to produce cars or food, why do you expect it to do a good job producing the legal system within which you are then going to produce the cars and the food?

Cattle die, kindred die, Every man is mortal: But the good name never dies Of one who has done well.

Better gear than good sense A traveler cannot carry.

If almost everyone is in favor of feeding the hungry, the politician may find it in his interest to do so. But, under those circumstances, the politician is unnecessary: some kind soul will give the hungry man a meal anyway. If the great majority is against the hungry man, some kind soul among the minority still may feed him – the politician will not.

Part of freedom is the right of each of us to go to hell in his own fashion.

But property rights are not the rights of property; they are the rights of humans with regard to property. They are a particular kind of human right.

The marketplace is not a battlefield where the person with the most money wins the battle and takes the whole prize;.